Obama Defends Race to Top
President Barack Obama is forcefully defending his signature education initiative, the $4.35 billion Race to the Top program, which has come under fire from civil rights groups that worry the competitive nature of the program creates a system of winners and losers that could hinder schools serving poor and minority students.
In a speech Thursday to the National Urban League in Washington, the president offered a rebuttal to such criticism, saying the steps the program encourages states to take, including lifting caps on charter schools and using student data to inform teacher
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18 States, D.C., Named Race to Top Round 2 Finalists
10 to 15 grants totaling $3.4 billion will be awarded in September to applicants believed to have the boldest, most sustainable plans for education improvements. (July 27, 2010)
Politics K-12 Blog
07/29 10:49 am |Politics K-12
The president told members of the National Urban League that his signature education initiative holds particular promise for poor and minority students in low-performing ...
Commentaries
June 29, 2010 The Obama administration's chief education initiative has shown that states are more than willing to pursue school reform if there's something in it for them, policy analyst Chad Aldeman writes.
April 30, 2010 Despite conventional wisdom to the contrary, states should favor boldness over buy-in in round two of the Race to the Top competition, Dan Weisberg writes.
April 27, 2010 Heather Zavadsky shows how Broad Prize-winning districts can teach other urban systems about using new federal funding well.
May 18, 2010Ronald E. Chennault writes that, sadly, the president's actions do not match his rhetoric.
January 11, 2010 U.S. Sen. Ted Kaufman, an engineer by training, says it is critical to graduate K-12 students aiming for careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.
December 11, 2009 As states complete their applications for the federal program, Yong Zhao offers a tongue-in-cheek guide to winning strategies.
December 7, 2009 By focusing on the very worst schools, the initiative misses an opportunity to help good urban districts become great, writes Richard Whitmire.
More Stimulus Stories
May 19, 2010 Still competition looms for districts, schools, and nonprofits vying for innovation grants under the economic-stimulus program.
May 12, 2010 A new effort by 12 major education philanthropies aims to dovetail with the Education Department’s ‘i3’ agenda, raising complex issues.
May 7, 2010 A new effort by 12 major education philanthropies aims to dovetail with the Education Department’s ‘i3’ agenda, raising complex issues.
May 4, 2010 Applicants look for district and union support without diluting proposals and hurting their shot at the $3.4 billion still left.
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07/27 11:07 pm Child advocates in Tennessee and Georgia say a recent ranking of states based on child well-being may be painting a too-rosy picture, as the ranking is based on data collected ...